Art of stapling



Feb. 2, 1937. F- R, CURTlSs 2,069,601

ART OF STAPLING Filed Deo. 19, 1935 as wml-'16.5 FIG. 4 38 35 44 /flz INVENTOR FRANK R. CURTISS.

Patented Feb. 2,1937,

U'Nlrrn sTA'rlzs PATENT OFFICE 2,069,601 ABT F STAI'IJNG Frank B. Curtiss, New Haven, Conn. application Dee. 19, 1933, Serial No. '103,032

14 claims.-l

This invention relates 'torw and useful improvements in staple drlvingmeans and staples therefor.

folds. l

A more speciiicobject is to'provide a staple' lo driving means including means whereby the cuffs of trousers may be stapled rather than sewed in place. the staple beingl concealed so as not to show at the outer side of ythe trouser cliff. is i Another object is toprovide'a staple driving means including means for preventing the clogging of staples in the raceway of the machine.

A further object is -to provide an improved staple particularly'- adapted to -be tightly closed o `or clinched.

An additional object is to provide a machine adapted toreceive and drive such staples.

Other objects and advantages will Ybecome apparent from a consideration'V of the following g detailed description ktaken in connection 'with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but in- 50 cludes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing: e Fig. l is a side elevational view showing a comlplete staple driving machine having the features of the invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a yiront elevational .view illustrating the 4operation of positioningthe machine on a trouser cui! preliminary to stapling the same in 4 Place:

Fig. 3 is o. bottom 1an view ,ofthe onvu por--A tion or upper jaw of the machine; o I v Fig. 4 is an enlarged transversesectional view through the needle; A

Fig. 5 is' a greatly enlarged plan view of the forward or penetrating end of the needle;

Fig. 6 isa transverse sectional'view 0n an enlarged scale and illustrating. the relationship of the parts;

Fig. '1 is o view somewhat similar' to rias but operation' showing .the parts at the end of an stapling a trouser cuff in place;

Fig. 8 is a'sectional view. throughs Bl trouser cui! showing the staple in place;v

pled

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a 'strip of the improved staples;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line iI-f-Il of Fig. 2; and

131g. 1l is a similar view but showing the parte lat the end of a staple driving operation and b efore they have returned to their normal positions.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the improved machine is disclosed as of the plier type 'although it is'to beunderstood and later will be- 10 come apparent that the features of the invention are applicable to other types of staple driving ma chine and that certain features of the invention are applicable irrespective of whether the inachine is of the plier type and irrespective. of 1.5 whether the machine simply drives the stapleor includes ananvil means against which the staples are clinched. The machine shown. inchidesoa central housing member-'I2 which at its forward end carries a head i3 andthe memberl!" is mounted for movement about a pivot I4 which pivot also mounts andpivotallv connects mem-y bers I5 and IB, the rear portions of which form handles l1 and I8. lThe forward portion -of member I5 comprises an operating member I l y while the forward portion of member Il eom prises a jaw 2l comprising or mounting an anvil means 2|.

Within the. member l2 there is arranged e. staple guide bar 22 here disclosed as in the form of an inverted U and a strip of staples 23 (later to be more fully described) is ,arranged on this guide bar in positions spanning the lower open side thereof'and the staples arev fed along the bar by means of a spring pressed follower il 35 which follower is slidably moimted on a rod II and normally urged forwardly therealong as by a coil spring 26. Obviously. follower 2l also spans the lower open side of the guide bar 22 and being U-shaped in transverse lsection engages the 4o rearmost staple of strip and feeds the staples along the bar toward'the forwardend thereof.

At its rear end the rod 2l may. befeonnected with a hea-d 21. having a bayonet slot connection "with the niembe;1 I1 asshowninl'ig. l. Dueto 45 this bayonet slot connection the rodand associand the like are vreplaced in the. machine. 50

e L'llieguide bar 22 at its forward end stops'at one *iside of a raceway 2l in thehead Il andthrough which racew'ayis'operable a plunger It designed for'driving staples. It will be understood that the staples 'are fed one at a time into the i';

q. im:

am lthat when a staple is in the raceway and plunger 29 is operated it will drive the staple. Actually the forward end of the staple strip is projected into the raceway a distance equal to the thickness of one staple and the width of the raceway is such that two staples cannot be fed into it in side by side relation. Therefore, it will be understood that as the plunger is operated through the raceway it cuts or severs the rst staple from the strip 23 and drives such staple through the raceway.

When papers or` other materials are to be stapled together they are inserted into the space Il between the head Il and the anvil 2i and on the handles I1 and il being squeezed toward one another the handle i'l and the member Il maintain the relationship shown while the handle il moves about the pivot Il to bringthe anvil toward the head Il. On further pressure being applied the handle `l1 rocks about its pivot il relative to the member i! and the handle Il (the latter two being in engagement through their anvil means 2i and head l! make no further relative movement) and as the handle I'I approaches the member I 2 the said handle operates the plunger 2l to drive a staple through the raceway 2l. The operation oi the plunger by handle I'l results from the fact that the projection I. of said handle extends through an opening ll in the plunger and movement of the handle and its projection therefore necessarily results in movement of the plunger. Should a staple become elogg'ed in the raceway, movement of the member Il in the direction of the handle I1 will result inthehead il of said member being carried away from the anvil means 2| and will further result in operation of theplunger throughtheracewaytoclearthe same. Y

Anvil means 2| includes the bracket-like member l-secured to the iawportion Il as bybolts' or rivets 3l and said member 32 carries a relatively heavy cross piece 34 extending transversely oftheiawllandheadllorlaterallyineaehdb' rection of said iaw and head. As will later more fully appear this relatively heavy member Il comprises a guard and guide and backing up piece and is arranged in the path of movement of thel that needle ll should be secured to the member 34 or its equivalent at at least two points to prevent pivotal or turning movement of the needle relative to the member.

At its end opposite its secured lend the needle ll is provided with a rounded point or penetrating end 31 (see particularly' Pig. 5) and the needle is preferably of greater width than thickness and its edges are rounded as shown at 3l (see Fig. 4). 'I'he obiect of this particular construction of needle will later be fully set forth. Intermediate its ends and in fact in alignment with the plunger 20 the needle is provided with anvil or clinching depressions deepest itheir outer or remote ends and gradually of less depth as they approach one another and these depr'elions serve to turn the ends of the legs. of a driven staple toward one another to clinch the staple.

lf the needle is of such thinness (and the thinness of the needle is a desirable attribute. its will the needle to provide a funnel-like entrance I2 between its free end and the free or penetrating end y of the needleasbest shown inli'igs. 2 and?.

It is noted that the staples oi' the strip Il are generally U-shaped but that each individual staple has its connecting portion inwardly bowed whereby the connecting portion of the strip is in eifect provided with a grove or channel Il. As best disclosed in Fig. 6 this inwardly bowed por-A tion of the staple strip enters the open side of the guide bar 22 and in said ligure the staple is designated u and it will be noted that its legs are arv ranged at the outer sides of the guide bar and that its bowed portion 4l enters the open side of the guide bar. A ward 4I. shaped as is the connecting portion of the staple is 'arranged at the open side o! the guide bar-and the curved portion of the ward enters or accommodates the groove or channel 4l oi' the staple strip whereby the strip is retained in position on the guide bar terial through which it has been driven.

.Intheinitialmovementofthehandles Iland iltowardoneanotheraspringconnectingthe handle i1 withtheiawllyieldstopermitsuch Jaw to approach the housing I8. As the ilnal pressure isappliedtooperate theplunger aspring Il) is compressed; At the end of the operation or when the staple has been driven the handles are released and the springs l and Il serve to return the handles to their normal relative positions. As the handles return to their normal positions the extension i9 of member l5, being rigid or integral with the handle l1, returns the plunger to normal position.

At the present time the cuffs or trousers are sewed or stitched in place by stitches passed through the cuis at opposite sides of the trouser legs. The machine of the present invention is capable of tacking up the trouser cuffs so that they maybe fastened more cheaply and more expeditiously than isA possible by sewing. When dry cleaning trousers, the threads holding the cuffs up are cut so that the cui will be cleaned and after the cleaning operation it is necessary to resew the cui?! in place. Usually those performing the actual cleaning operations are not tailors and not 'infrequently the garments are returned to small establishments, which serve as collection agencies for cleaning -houses and have no cleaning plant of their own, 'with the cuis still loose and such 'agencies must'sew the cuffs in place. The present mea'ns is such that the cuffs may be stapled in place by staples inserted from the inner side'and which do not extend entirely through the cuff and are not visible at its outer side. 1

Generally a trouser cuil is madeup as shown in Fig. 8 wherein a portion of a trouser leg is shown at 5| and it is noted that the material thereof is doubledv on itself at 52 and carried upwardly providing a layer of material 53 at the upper end of which the fabric is again doubled on itself at 54 providing an outer layer of material 55 and at its lower end or at the lower end of the layer 55 the material is doubled on itself as at 5B and carried upwardly at the inner side of the trouser leg as at 51. The upper edge of the portion 5'! is usually sewed to the layer 5l of the material. The cuff, then, is generally designated 58 in Fig. 8 and comprises the doubled up material forming the layers 53 and 55.

To tack the cuff 58 in place after it has 'been folded into the proper position the cuff, and, in fact, the entire lower end of one side of the trouser leg is inserted into the space 3.0 between the head and anvil of the machine with the head of the machine at the inner side of the trouser leg. The needle 35 is vthen passed through 'the outer layer 55 of the cui being introduced as shown in Fig. 2. From that figure it will be noted that the member v34 acts as a guard to limit penetration of the cuff by the needle and also acts as a guide. The needle having been introduced` through the outer layer .of material 55 of the cu, the entire machine is shifted laterally so as to bring the needle between the outer layer of material of the cuff and the raceway and plunger in the head I3. The parts are shown so positioned in Fig. 7.

The staple may now be driven and, of course, the free ends of the legsof the staple will penetrate the two inner layers 5I and 53 of the cui and then engage the needle 35 inthe anvil depressions 39 thereof. As the staple is drivenits legs are turned inwardly toward one another and into a position inclining toward its connecting portion as fully shown in Fig. -7 and as described above. From the Figs. '7 and 8 it will be vclear that the staple has `not penetrated the outer side of the trouser leg. The staplingzcp-v eration is repeated at each side of the cuif so that employed for tacking the cuff in place.

Since the needle 35 has'a rounded point 31 it will not cut a thread if it directly engages the same but will force the thread to one side or the other. Further, as the edges of the needle are rounded at 38 the needle will force apart the threads as the needle is passed through the outer layer of material of the cuff and will not cutl any of the threads of such material. This is an vadvantage and further to prevent rupture of any of the threads it is desirable to have the needle as narrow and as thin as possible and for this last reason the needle is mounted to extend laterally or cross-wise of the machine head so that the anvil depressions 39 may extend longitudinally' of the needle and it will not be necessary to make the needle of the considerable width which would be necessary if said depressions extended transversely of the needle as would be the case if the needle extended forwardly or from the explained, yields or springs and shifts into a position against the guard and backing up member 34l as shown in Fig. *1. Since the needle is secured at its enlarged end and since this end is spaced laterally from the anvil portion of the needle it will be apparent that the needle may against the member 34 without breaking or fracturing the needle so that on the parts being released the needle resumes its normal position.

The present staple driving machine also includes means automatically passed through the lower or delivery end of the raceway at the end of each staplingv operation so asv to clean out or remove from the raceway any staple which may have become clogged therein. As disclosed this means includesan arm 59 pivoted between its ends to a pair of ears 60 as by pin or rivet 6|. One end of this arm is received in an opening 52 in the plunger 29 and to the other end of the arm there is pivoted as at 53 one end of a dog 64. A spring 55 normally maintains the dog 54 in a position with its end 66 extending across the lower or delivery end of the raceway 28. The dog is shown in its normal position in Figs. l, 2, and 10. As the plunger is operated to drive a staple through the raceway it, of course, carries the inner end of the arm 59 downwardly with it due to the fact that such end of the arm is disposed in the opening 62 in the plunger. As the inner end of the arm is carried by the plunger the outer end thereof swings outwardly away from the head I3 ofthe machine and shifts the dog 64 from the position of Fig. 10 to that of Fig. l1 and in the latter figure it will be noted that the spring 65 is functioning to maintain the end 66 of the dog against the plunger 29. When the staple has been driven or as the plunger is returned to normal position it acts to swing the arm 59 in a vreadily so yield as to bring its anvil portion flat reverse direction about its pivot and shift the dog 64 downwardly of the raceway toward the delivery v end thereof. Since the spring 65 constantly inuences the'dog the end 66 of the latter enters theraceway immediately 'it passes oif the staple engaging end of the plunger and extends across the raceway to engage any staple clogged therein.

connection where it is desirable to insert an anvil throughalayeroimateriaitoclinchstaplesand prevent them passing through such unter-lai.

Further, owing to the particular construction of the improved staple and driving plunger and anvil the stape may be tightly clinched forming two substantially closed loops as best illustrated in Fig. 7.

Also, the ward I! prevents the wrong type of staple being inserted in the machine and maintains the proper staple on thegulde barand the dog I4 and means for operating the same serve to clear the raceway at the end of each stapling operation. It will, of course, be understood that it is only occasionally that a staple becomes wedged or clogged in the raceway. When this occurs, the operator usually tries to force the machine with the result that it is clogged worse than ever. With the present means including the dog M the raceway is automatically cleaned asthepartsreturntonormalpositionandafter eachoperationsothatifastaplehas wedgedin the raceway it is removed therefrom without any conscious eilort on the part of the operator.

Attention is also directed to the fact that'a single staple clinching depression may be used in place of the depressions I. These latter are shown to fully illustrate the invention. However, the invention is not at all limited to such a construction and with other constructions oi* depressions the bowed portion l5 of a staple may enter between the ends of the legs of the staple without inclinings'uchlegsinwardlyasshowninthe drawing.

Having thus set forth th! nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a staple driving machine including a base. a raceway. a guide bar for guiding stapl to said raceway and a plunger for driving staples through the raceway. an anvil against which sta- Dles driven through said raceway may beclinched, said anvil including a needle extending transversely of and supported by the base and having a sharpened portion laterally beyond one side thereof for ready penetration of a material on lateral movement of the base and adapted to be inserted through a piece of material to turn' the end oi a staple at the under side of the material to clinch the staple, a backing up member carried by the machine and agahst which said needle may be forced in the clinching operation. and an extension on said backing up member and comprising a guide and guard member extending along one side oi' the sharpened porhon of the needle laterally of the base and limiting the distance the needle may casually penetrate.

2. In a staple driving machine including `a base, a raceway, a guide bar for guiding staples to said raceway and a plunger for driving staples through the raceway, an anvil against which staples driven through the raceway may be thelastdirectiontoentertbsrscewayaadpsss through the delivery end thereof.

anvil comprising a needleextendingin the direc tion ofthe breadth oftheplunger bythemachine andextendlngacrosstbs endoi' andtreefromitspointedendbeyondonssllgej.V

ward one another, and said members comprising.

handles whereby the entire machine may be moved laterally to cause the pointed end of the anvil to penetrate a fabric and then move further to bring the anvil-into position with the fabric between the anvil and the plunger.

8. In a staple driving machine including a jaw and a head having a plunger movable therein to drive a staple therefrom in the direction of the jaw, means connecting the jaw and head for movement toward and from one another, a lateral extension on one side of the jaw, a needle, means securing one end of the needle to said extension, said needle sharpened at its other end for penetration and extending between the head and jaw and normally spaced from each of them and of a length disposing its sharpened end laterally beyond the jaw and head for ready penetration of one layer of a double layer of material to permit one layer of material to enter between the needle and jaw and the other between the needle and head on Arelative lateral movement of the machine and material, and said needle cmprising an anvil against which staples driven from the head may be clinched. v

9. In a staple driving machinelcomprisingan elongated body including a head and a base and of which the head includes means to drive staples in the direction of the base, a needle extending transversely of the machine body-between the head and base and in the path of movement of a staple driven from the head, means receiving one end portion of the needle at one side of thel body and supportingvthe needle in position ex'- tending between the head and body in spaced relation to each of them to permit of the location of material at both sides of the needle, said needle of such length as to dispose its other end beyond the other side of the machine body and having such other end sharpened and freel for ready penetration of a material, said needle having staple prong turning recesses in the pathv of movement of the prongs of a staple driven from said head, and said needle being resilientwhereby as a staple is driven against it the needle willyield to bring its intermediate recessed portion into position to be supported by the base.

10. In a staple driving machine including a raceway and a plunger operable from a normal position of rest to drive staples through the raceway, means for supplying staples to the raceway, means to operate the plunger, and means operable through the raceway after the driving stroke of the plunger capable of forcing a partially driven staple from the delivery end of the raceway.

11. In a staple driving machine including a race way and a plunger operable from a normall position of rest to drive staples through the raceway, means for supplying staples to the' raceway, means to operate the plunger, a dog, means mounting the dog on the machine. spring means normally urging said dog to enter the raceway, and means to move said dog through the raceway after the start of the return movement of the plunger following a `driving stroke whereby to have the dog force a staple from the delivery end of the raceway when the staple is not freed therefrom by the plunger.

12. In a stapling machine, a pair of handles, an anvil on one of said handles, a head, a staple driving plunger in said head, means on the other handle and connected with said plunger whereby on movement of one handle toward the other said plunger is operated to drive a staple, said anvil comprising a needle extending in the direction of the breadth ofthe plunger and supported by the machine and extending across the end of the plunger and having a sharpened end beyond one side of the machine whereby on manipulation of the machine by its handles the sharpened end of the anvil may be forced through a material and the machine moved bodily laterally to dispose the plunger at one side and the anvil at the other side of the material, and a backing up member Acarried by the machine and against which said needle is supported in a clenching operation.

13. In a staple driving machine, an anvil, a head, means for feeding staples to said head, a

, plunger in said head and operablev to drive a staple therefrom against said anvil, said anvil including a needle with a pointed end extending in the direction of the breadth of. the plunger and extending beyond each edge of the plunger and free from its pointed end beyond one edge of the plunger to a point beyond` the other edge of the plunger, a backing up means against which said needle is supported in a clenching operation, means including a pair of connected members of which one carries said anvil and the other is connected to cause operation of said plunger on movement of one member toward the other, and said members comprising handles whereby the entire machine may be' moved laterally to cause the pointed end ofthe anvil to penetrate a fabric and then move farther to bring the anvil into position with the fabric between the anvil and the plunger.

14. In a machine for stapling trouser cuffs, means for driving a staple, a member extending across the path of movement of a staple driven by said means and against which s aid staple may be clenched, said member being of small cross sectional area and having a free end beyond said path and shaped for piercing a layer of fabric, said member having staple clenching recesses in its inner side inwardly of its piercing end and adapted to be partly passed through a fabric to dispose its recesses at the side of the fabric opposite the staple driving means to cause clenching at the said opposite side of the fabric of the legs of a staple driven by said means, and a rigid supporting means at the outer side of said member -to support the portion thereof having said recesses while a staple driven through -the .fabric by the first means is being clenched.

FRANK' a. cua'rrss'. 

